Wheeled toy



June 16, 1953 J. P. GOWLAND WHEELED TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed 001;. 27, 1950 Inventor 8 JOHN n GOWLAND &wu7#a&ml-#

Attorneys June 16, 1953 J. P. GOWLAND WHEELED TOY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 27, 1950 Invenlor JOHN P GOWLA ND @QL Attorneys Patented June 16, 1953 UNITED STATES WHEELED TOY JohnPinkney (lowland, Santa Barbara, Calif.

Application October 27, 1950, Serial No. 192,475

In Great Britain October 29, 1949 According to this invention, a toy has an articulated body which is adapted to rest or to be supported on the ground or some other supporting surface and which comprises two parts hinged together on a pivot which lies transversely of the body when the latter is in its normal resting or supported position, the toy also having a control device of the sheath-and-core type comprising a sheath attached at one end to one part of the body and a core passing through the sheath and attached at one end to the other part of the body, the other ends of the sheath and core being attached to relatively movable handle parts, actuation of which effects arelative longitudinal movement of the sheath and core to draw the two parts of the body pivotally towards each other and thus cause them to tilt and rise into a hump at their hinge. The toy may alsoincorporate one or more elements mountedon the body and attached to one or the other of the body parts so as to rise andfall with the body part to which the element is attached; If a plurality of such elements are provided, they may be all attached to one of the body parts or, alternatively, one or more maybe attached .to one body part and one or more to the other. Such element or elements may bepivotally or otherwise relativel freely attached, so that an element is capable of-executing movements of its own when risingand falling with the body partto which it is attached; The toy may incorporate a sound-producing device or any other desired device, which is arranged to be actuated in response to the pivoting movement of the body parts,

Very amusing effects may be obtained by the rising and falling movements of the articulated body executed under operation and release of the control device, which efiects maybe enhanced .by accompanying movements imparted to an attached element or elements as above described, and by accompanying operation of a sound-producing or other device as mentioned;

The invention is susceptible of embodiment in a variety of constructional forms, and is applicable especially, but not exclusively, topull toys. In the application of the invention to pull toys, the control device is adapted to serve as a lead for hauling the toy, thus forming a combined lead and remote control device; Toys embodying the invention may be constructedfor example, as toy; vehicles or other objects, or toy animals 4 Claims. (01. 4 699) or other figures, of various kinds; and these may be provided with additional elements as above mentioned, in the form of 'toy figures representing a, driver with or without a passenger or passengers in the case of a toy vehicle or the like, or a rider or riders in the case of a toy animal or the like.

Accordingly, although a particular embodiment is more fully described below and shown in detail in the accompanying drawings, this is but illustrative of the many possible embodiments that may be made, the mechanical features, combinations of elements and arrangements of parts which constitute the invention and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the appended claims. o

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view showing one embodiment of the invention constructed as a toy automobile.

Fig. 2 is a side View with parts shown in section, and

Fig. 3 isa viewsimilar to Fig. 2 showing th toy in an actuated position.

The illustrative embodiment shown is con structed asa 'toy replica of a pioneer type of automobile and is fitted with a flexible remote control device by means of which mechanisms of the toy may be actuated to produce certain effects and actions as will presently be described, and also by means of which the automobile may be hauled as a pull my, it being made possible, on the one hand, to produce theabove noted actions and effects, and, on the other hand, to haul the toy, eachindependently of the other, or both simultaneously, as may be desired by the user. The toy may be of substantially all-plastic construction by extensive use of plastic mouldings and stampings for the various parts of the toy or, if desired, it may be constructed in any other suitable material or materials. Referring to the drawings, the toy automobile comprises a body shell structure which consists of two parts, a front part generally denoted by it and a rear part generally denoted by I I. The front part I0 comprises a rigid shell, e. g., of moulded plastic construction, including the radiator I2, bonnet l3 and scuttle l 4, and having fitted thereon mock lamps l5, which may beplastic mouldings, and

a mock windshield" lt which may consist of a wire frame. The front part 10 is also provided with a pair of dummy front springs l1 carrying collarsl8' in which is journalled the front axle IQ of a pair of front road wheels 20. Behind the scuttle M a dummy steering column 2!, on which a, dummy steering wheel 22 is fixed, is rigidly fixed by an integral or separate Web block portion 23 ,to the, scuttle. The parts 2|, 22 and tion on the seat 25.

II are humped by operation of the trigger d,

23' may all be plastic mouldings. The rear part II comprises a rigid shell, e. g., of moulded plastic construction, including the floor 24 of the driving compartment, a seat 25 and a dummy toolbox 26, and carries a pair of dummy rear springs 21 which, like springs I'I, carry collars (not seen in the drawings) in which is journalled the rear axle 28 of a pair of rear road wheels 29. At each side'of the toy, a combined running board and mudguard structure 30, e. -g., of plastic construction, is attached to the floor 24 by brackets 3!. Also attached to the rear part H is a dummy bulb horn 32. The front part 40 and rear part i l are hinged together in the region of the base of the scuttle i 4 by atransverse'hinge pin 33 (or a pair of stubs) carried by the rear part II and entering apertured lugs 34 on the front part [0.

Attached to the front end of the front part l below the radiator I2, such as by fixture in a socket 35 formed in that front end, is the inner end of the sheath '36 of a flexible lead of the .sheath-and-core type, such as a Bowden cable,

the outer end of the sheath 36 beingattached'to any suitable form of handgrip member 3 The sheath '36 may consist, for example, of a close- Wound wire coil. The core 38, which may be in the form of a wire'or cord .passing through the sheath 36, passes through an aperture behind the socket 35 and isattached at its inner end to a suitable anchorage, such as a depending apertured lug .39 on the underside of the :rear part II. At its outer end, the core 38 is attached to an actuating element &6 associated with the handgrip member 31. 31 and element 40 form :an actuating handle of any suitable character. For example, as;shown, themember 317 comprises aslottedzsleeve 4| having the sheath 36 attached to it at ;one aend and terminating at its other end :in .a thumb ring 42, and the element fll'consistspf .a crossbar extending transversely through and .slidable longitudinally in the slot I413 in thesleeve f4.|,.the latter :having a longitudinal keyway (not seen in'the drawings) in which akey-on the-crossbar 40 is slidably guided to retain the crossbar in the sleeve. With ausersthumb :inithe ring2-42, the crossbar 4.6 can be engaged.atfoppositeisides of the sleeve 4! by two fingersandpulled-along the sleeve .(asseenin Fig. 3) was itopull the core 38 through the sheath :36 and .thus cause the two parts .10 and H of the automobile I- body to fold and riseupwardlyabout their hinge 33,-:drawing the rear wheels .29 towards the front wheels 20, 'asseen in Fig. 3, the bodybeingrestored to its normal conditionshown in Figs. 1 and 2 by gravity (assisted, 'if @desired, by the provision .of a suitable spring now-shown) when the-crossbar trigger 40 is released.

A toy figure 44 representing a driver of the automobile holding the steering wheel -2"2 has its arms '45 pinned as at-46to the'steeringwheel so as to hinge the figure to the wheel 2, :and in the normal condition of the toy as seen in Figs. 1 and 2 the figure -44arests in a sitting posi- When the body parts =l0,

figure 44 is lifted by the rising seat 25, and with a sharp pull .on the trigger the parts -10, II are caused to bump abruptly, producing a bucking action which has the eifecto'f abruptly throwing the figure -1l42upwards and causing itto execute amusing pivotal movement about its hinge attachment to the :steering wheel. The action may be arranged :so that the figure is The member 4 caused to leap up on to the seat 25, as shown in Fig. 3, and to drop back on to the seat when the trigger 40 is released. If desired, a second toy figure (not shown), representing a passenger, may be provided normally sitting on the seat beside the figure 44, and the second figure may also be pivotally attached at some convenient point to the front part H) of the body, e. g., to the windshield 16, so that the second figure, as well as the figure 44, will leap up when the automobile bucks and will drop back on to the seat when the trigger is released.

As shown, the hollow bonnet l3 contains a sound-producing device in the form of a conventional bellows-type squeaker 4?, and the rear body part llflisprovided with an extension bar or fork 48 which extends forwardly from the hinge 33 under the bonnet l3 to engage and press upwardly against the squeaker 47 and thereby compress its bellows, as shown in Fig. 3, and cause the squeaker to sound in imitation of the horn 32 honking when the automobile bucks by actuation of the trigger. The squeaker 41 may be supported on the extension bar or fork-48 and is pressed upwardly by the latter against the inside top wall of the bonnet I3 when the 'squeaker is actuated.

A toothed wheel 49 is provided on the rear axle 28 so as to revolve therewith, and .a flexible tongue 50, e. g., of metalorplastic, is mounted at one end under the rear body part I! such that the free end of the tongue engages with the teeth of the toothed wheel 4-9 and thereby-causes a clattering sound to be produced at the rear end of the automobile as it is pulled along on its road Wheels.

It will be evident that numerous-modifications of the described embodiment may be made without departing from the essence of thedescri'bed action of the toy when actuated by "the remote control device. For example, instead of, .or.'in addition to, actuating a squeaker 41, the extension bar or fork 48 or a similar member may be adapted to close the "circuit of a dry battery housed in the bonnet and wired for lighting electric bulbs fitted in some or all of the lamps 15. Again, if asecond toy figure is provided,.one of them may be attached to the front body part l0 and the other to the rear bodypart l I so that the two figures leap in opposite directions when the automobile bucks. Of course, in addition or as an alternative to the extension member 48, a rearward extensionmay be provided on theLfront part III and arrangedtoactuateor control a'device carried by the rear part II for producing some desired action or effect, a further action or effect may, for example :bearranged to be obtained by partial actuation :of the trigger 40; for instance, a device for producing a sound in imitation of .engine back'firing may be provided and arranged to be operated on pulling the trigger 40, say half-way, the described actions of the automobile bucking, the horn sounding and the driver leaping up being effected by pulling the trigger 40 all the way.

.Toy animal or like figures, e. g., toy quadrupeds, having articulated bodies mounted on ground wheels and carrying a rider, may be constructed in analogous fashion to the embodiment described, soithatithe rider is thrown upwardly when the animal or like figure is caused to buck,by bumping of its body parts through actuation of the remote control device.

I claim:

1. Atoy automobile comprising an articulated automobile body having a front part supported on front road wheels and a rear part supported on rear road wheels, said front part including bonnet and scuttle portions of the automobile and a steering column fixed to the rear of said scuttle portion and carrying a steering wheel, said rear part including a driving seat, means hinging said body parts together about a transverse pivot disposed between said front and rear wheels in the vicinity of the base of said scuttle portion, and manual control means including relatively movable parts connected to said body parts respectively and extending from said body for relative movement to draw said body parts pivotally towards each other on their supporting wheels and thereby cause them to buck upwards at their hinge.

2. A toy automobile comprising an articulated automobile body having a front part supported on front road wheels and a rear part'supported on rear road wheels, said front part including bonnet and scuttle portions of the automobile and a steering column fixed to the rear of said scuttle manual control means including relatively movable parts connected to said body parts respectively and extending from said body for relative movement to draw said body parts pivotally towards each other on their supporting wheels and thereby cause them to buck upwards at their hinge, and a toy figure having arms pivotally attached to said steering wheel and normally rewheels, said front part including bonnet and portion and carrying a steering wheel, said rear wards each other on their supporting wheels and thereby cause them to buck upwards at their hinge, and a concertina sound-producing device arranged between relatively movable portions of said two body parts such as to be squeezed be- 5 tween said portions and thereby caused to emit sound upon relative movement of said portions due to bucking movement of said body parts.

3. A toy automobile comprising an articulated automobile body having a front part supported on' front road wheels and a rear part supported on rear road wheels, said front part including bonnet and scuttle portions of the automobile and a steering column fixed to the rear of said scuttle portion and carrying a steering wheel, said rear part including a driving seat, means hinging said body parts together about a transverse pivot disposed between said front and rear wheels in the vicinity of the base of said scuttle portion, and

scuttle portions of the automobile and a steering column fixed to the rear of said scuttle portion and carrying a steering wheel, said rear part including a driving seat, means hinging said body parts together about a transverse pivot disposed between said front and rear wheels in the vicinity of the base of said scuttle portion, and manualcontrol means including relatively movable parts connected to said body parts respectively and extending from said body for relative movement to draw said body parts pivotally towards each other on their supporting wheels and thereby cause them to buck upwards at their hinge, a toothed rattle wheel on one of said body parts, means for rotatably driving said rattle 'wheel from a ground wheel of the toy, and a flexible tongue fixed at one end to said rear body part and engaging with its free end the toothed periphery of said rattle wheel for emitting a rattling sound when said rattle wheel is driven.

JOHN PINKNEY GOWLAND.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,608,092 Ferguson Nov. 23, 1926 1,646,814 De Lemme Oct. 25, 1927 1,668,005 Dougherty May 1, 1928 1,829,680 Schelle et a1 Oct. 2'7, 1931 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 442,755 France June 28, 1912 

